FBI offers new reward for news of missing Elijah Vue, 3, who went missing in Wisconsin

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation is providing a $15,000 reward for data resulting in the situation and return of Elijah Vue, a three-year-old boy who went lacking in Wisconsin earlier this month.

The kid vanished in Two Rivers, on the shore of Lake Michigan, on Tuesday 20 February.

Talking at a information convention on Tuesday, Two Rivers Chief of Police Ben Meinnert didn’t instantly reply questions on whether or not he thought the kid was nonetheless alive however stated that officers would proceed to seek for him.

In the meantime, a feminine relative of the toddler pleaded with the general public to come back ahead with any data that may carry him again dwelling.

“Your braveness, your compassion, your willingness to talk up could maintain the important thing to Elijah’s secure return”.

The toddler had been despatched to stick with his mom’s boyfriend, Jesse Vang, who reported the boy lacking at simply earlier than 11am, three hours after he stated he final noticed Elijah.

Mr Vang, 39, had gone for a nap after giving Elijah breakfast. He reportedly informed cops that he didn’t change the boy’s diaper and informed him to face on the foot of the mattress and pray whereas he slept.

Two Rivers Police Division arrested Mr Vang later that day, earlier than additionally detaining the boy’s mom the next day.

Katrina Baur, 31, reportedly despatched Elijah to remain in Two Rivers – some 150 miles from their Wisconsin Dells dwelling – for “disciplinary causes”.

Following their arrests, court docket paperwork seen on Monday expanded on that, exhibiting Elijah had been pressured to face for hours throughout “time outs” and was informed to wish, whereas he was additionally threatened with chilly water if he didn’t behave.

The pair had been each charged with baby neglect, with Ms Baur additionally going through two costs of obstruction after she repeatedly modified her story round her whereabouts.

Mr Vang has a historical past of different legal offences, together with baby abuse, in accordance with court docket information seen by The Unbiased.

A neighborhood rallies to assist

A number of regulation enforcement companies, together with the FBI, in addition to dive groups and dozens of native volunteers have spent the previous week in search of the little boy.

Officers imagine he could have been carrying his favorite pink and white plaid blanket, and have requested locals to maintain an eye fixed out for this in addition to the red-and-green dinosaur slip-on footwear he was sporting.

Elijah, who weighs round 45 kilos, was additionally sporting gray pants and a dark-coloured long-sleeve shirt on the time of his disappearance. He’s of Hmong and white ethnicity, about three ft tall and has brown hair and brown eyes.

Two Rivers is a small city of round 11,000 folks, with the search space extending out into close by woods and countryside, in addition to a landfill web site. Drones and Ok-9 groups have additionally been concerned within the effort.

The city’s police division stated on Monday afternoon that it had been inundated with presents of donations, however warned of scammers who had additionally been making an attempt to money in on folks’s good nature.

“We’ve change into conscious of third-party scams looking for cash or private data from these serving to to search out Elijah,” Chief Meinnert stated in a submit on Fb. “Donations ought to solely undergo Two Rivers Metropolis Corridor or Police Division, or dependable sources devoted to the efforts of Elijah’s household.

“We’re additionally conscious of fraudulent people looking for cash or data whereas organising search events and others merely seeking to reap the benefits of this tragedy.”

The Vue household have been closely concerned within the seek for the little boy, telling native media that they haven’t had any contact with him for a lot of his life. His father is reportedly serving time in jail and won’t be launched for a number of years.